2:30 p.m., Target Center
Where to Watch: Fox Sports North
Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves will go up against a Dallas Mavericks squad fighting for a playoff spot on Sunday afternoon.
The Wolves go into the game with a 25-51 record, no playoffs on the line.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, are 38-38, tied for seventh with Utah in the West. However, Houston is just one game behind both Dallas and Utah. In other words, every game is a must-win in order for the Mavericks to make the playoffs.
A few tidbits going into Sunday’s game:
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 98-85 road loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Andrew Wiggins led the way with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nemanja Bjelica showed some life, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Shabazz Muhammad contributed 10 points off the bench.
The Mavericks are coming off of a 98-89 road win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. Former Wolves guard J.J. Barea led the way with 29 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Wesley Matthews finished with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Devin Harris led the second unit with 13 points.
Last Matchup:
The two teams last faced off on Feb. 28 in Dallas. The Mavericks came away with a 128-101 win thanks to 29 points from Chandler Parsons. Matthews added 15 points, while Nowitzki and Deron Williams added 10 each. Lee led the second unit with 13 points and nine rebounds. Barea and Justin Anderson added 12 and 10, respectively.
Muhammad led the second unit with 24 points and five rebounds. Wiggins finished with 15 points but shot just 5-for-14. Ricky Rubio added 14 points, while Zach LaVine added 10. Towns had another double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Key Matchup: Gorgui Dieng vs. Dirk Nowitzki
The old vs. the new.
With a lot of focus on the young guns for the Wolves, we forget about how solid Dieng has been. In 76 games, the big man is averaging 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field.
He’ll have his hands full against Nowitzki, who somehow is still doing his thing at 37 years old. The big man is averaging 18.5 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from the 3-point line.
Injuries:
Dallas: Raymond Felton (groin) is questionable. Williams (abdominal), Parsons (knee) and Jeremy Evans (shoulder) are out.
Minnesota: Kevin Garnett (knee) and Nikola Pekovic (foot) are out.
Projected Starters:
Dallas: PG- Barea, SG – Anderson, SF – Matthews, PF – Nowitzki, C – Pachulia
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- LaVine, SF- Wiggins, PF- Dieng, C – Towns
